abeyance
State of limbo
Abeyance is a state of temporary suspension or inactivity.
Legal rights held in abeyance await resolution of ownership.
Plans fall into abeyance when circumstances change: The project was held in abeyance until funding came through.
The word appears almost exclusively in formal contexts, often with "in" or "into."
Delaying to later
- deferralAct of delaying action
- moratoriumTemporary prohibition or delay
- holdMaintain in grasp
- freezeBecome solid from cold
stay · halt · stoppage · cessation · discontinuance · dormancy · intermission · pause
Place of temporary suffering
- uncertaintyState of being unsure
- indeterminacyLack of fixed outcome
- twilightLight after sunset
- in-betweenOccupying middle position
threshold · waiting · interim · interregnum · void · doldrums · nebulousness · ambiguity
Provisional in-between phase
- provisionalConditional and possibly temporary
- transitoryBrief in duration
- impermanentNot meant to last
- short-termOf limited duration
stopgap · pro tem · tentative · ephemeral · passing · fleeting · interlude · interval
Delay in system response
- quiescenceState of being inactive
- inactivityLack of movement
- stasisState of inactivity
- lullTemporary period of quiet
idle · fallow · hibernation · slumber · rest · stillness · quiet · inertness
postponement
Delaying to later
- deferralAct of delaying action
- moratoriumTemporary prohibition or delay
- holdMaintain in grasp
freeze · stay · halt · stoppage · cessation · discontinuance · dormancy · intermission · pause · standstill
purgatory
Place of temporary suffering
- uncertaintyState of being unsure
- indeterminacyLack of fixed outcome
- twilightLight after sunset
in-between · threshold · waiting · interim · interregnum · void · doldrums · nebulousness · ambiguity · unresolved
interim
Provisional in-between phase
- provisionalConditional and possibly temporary
- transitoryBrief in duration
- impermanentNot meant to last
short-term · stopgap · pro tem · tentative · ephemeral · passing · fleeting · interlude · interval · gap
latency
Delay in system response
- quiescenceState of being inactive
- inactivityLack of movement
- stasisState of inactivity
lull · idle · fallow · hibernation · slumber · rest · stillness · quiet · inertness · torpor
- delaysdelays, delay, delayed, postponement, postpone
- pausesrest, stop, pause, break, halt
- stillnessstillness, motionless, motionlessness, immobility, unmoving
- stoppageshalt, stop, standstill, cessation, dead stop
- breaksbreak, crack, pause, fracture, shatter
- inactivityinactivity, sitting, inactive, idleness, idle
abeyancecontinuation
Act of proceeding further
continuance · continuity · resumption · revival · renewal
abeyanceresumption
Act of continuing again
revival · renewal · reactivation · resuscitation · recommencement
- in abeyanceTemporarily inactive or suspended